







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | |
| I usually take the train. | |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |
| Do you live around here? | |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | |
| He is a Chow Chow. | |
| That's where Diego works, too! | |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | |